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Just days after the Township was drawn into the ongoing fight over Darwin, the IKEA monkey, there's another potential battle brewing in Beaverton.

The Toronto Sun reported over the weekend that the municipality was poised to seize JoJo, a five-year-old macaque, from Beaverton resident Kelly Snooks.

While Mayor Clayton acknowledged that the municipality and the Durham Regional Police have both received complaints about JoJo, there's been no recent issues. In fact, municipal officials thought the monkey had been relocated outside of the township.

"We've had complaints in the past but we haven't heard anything in about a year," Mayor Clayton said.

"Those complaints were part of the reason that we drafted the exotic animal bylaw in the first place."

Under the bylaw, which was passed by Township council in February of 2012, monkeys are considered a prohibited animal but local residents may apply for an annual licence to keep them as a pet.

"We'd far sooner have the situation resolved than to seize her monkey. We certainly don't want it and would prefer not to get drawn into any sort of legal proceedings," Mayor Clayton said.

He encouraged Ms Snooks to follow the bylaw and apply for a licence.

"If she complied with the bylaw, there wouldn't be any issue. But at this point, she's made absolutely no effort to do that."

But that doesn't mean that municipal officials will be coming for JoJo any time soon. The first step, Mayor Clayton said, would be citing Ms Snooks for violating the Township bylaw.

"There is a process to follow," he said.

"Public safety is our first consideration and that includes the owners of these exotic animals."

If JoJo was eventually seized, Mayor Clayton said he would likely end up at the Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary on Concession 10 with Darwin.

"What is the Township going to do with a monkey?" he asked rhetorically.

Calls to Ms Snooks were not returned.

Scott Howard is editor of the Brock Citizen. He can be reached via email at showard@mykawartha.com